Setting the Standard: Getting It Right Frances Jackson, PRP
During the 2021 NAP Biennial Convention, members from the Commission on Credentialing (COC) presented a workshop that updated the progress the commission is making on completing the RP credentialing process, and the start of the PRP credentialing process. As part of that presentation, commissioner Frances Jackson presented the analysis work performed by the commission to ensure testing integrity of the new process. Since that presentation, some interest has been expressed in having Dr. Jackson expand on the presentation to describe the process of inter-rater reliability and how it is used to ensure testing integrity. As some members are aware, one of the recurring issues with the current credentialing process is the view for both the Professional Qualifying Course (now called the Professional Qualifying Examination) and all versions of the Professional Renewal Course (now called Professional Renewal Certification), that how candidates are evaluated is dependent on who one gets as an
evaluator. Rightly or wrongly, there is a persistent perception that there is a lack of consistency on how the assignments are scored. This perception, whether accurate or not, leads to considerable anxiety among candidates, and raises legitimate questions about consistency of evaluation, how it can be measured, and how it can be achieved. The bylaws that established the COC included a clause requiring psychometric analysis as part of the testing process for the new credentialing system. This provision not only reflects the concerns of NAP members but is also a requirement from the three organizations that sanction accreditation programs. To achieve this and comply with this provision, the COC established an Analysis Committee. The chair of this committee is commissioner Jackson, a retired university professor. The committee member is Dr. Mona Calhoun, PRP, who is now the national secretary for NAP. Dr. Calhoun recently completed a doctoral degree in psychometric testing. Dr. Jackson has thirty-two www.parliamentarians.org
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